TOBY BALDING has decided to appeal against the £1,000 "non trier's" fine he received from the Exeter stewards on Wednesday. The trainer was penalised in his absence for the running of Polden Pride, second in a four runner handicap chase at the west country track.

Polden Pride, having his first run for 284 days, was judged not to have been ridden to obtain his best possible placing after a strong finishing second. The gelding was banned from racing for 30 days, under Barry Fenton suspended for eight days and Balding fined £1,000.

Balding said yesterday: "I can see there might have been criticism of Barry's riding but they are saying we were trying to deceive the handicapper or organise a coup. All the horse has done is keep galloping and I think they've missed the scenario. For the horse to be suspended for 30 days they are saying he wasn't off and that couldn't be further from the truth."

Meanwhile Jeff King can land today's Town Moor Handicap with Inchcailloch. It was back in October that Inchcailloch supplemented a win at Warwick with victory in the £47,000 Tote Cesarewitch at 20 to 1.